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Following Efforts from Emmer, McCollum and Klobuchar, the U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act has Been Signed Into Law

May 12, 2017

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), and Senator Amy Klobuchar issued the following statement following the President signing the U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act, (H.R. 534) into law.

“This legislation becoming law will ensure Minnesota has the chance to compete and showcase our many success stories and contributions on the global stage,” said Emmer. “Minnesota is a fantastic state, and this excellent opportunity will allow us to highlight Minnesota’s natural beauty and unique culture and incredible innovative spirit, all while bringing more revenue to Minnesota’s businesses. I am excited that we are one-step closer to realizing our dream of Minnesota hosting the World’s Fair and I thank President Trump for sharing this goal.”

“This bill is a bipartisan solution that levels the playing field and lets Minnesota and the United States compete. By ending our harmful, self-imposed isolation from the BIE, the United States will once again be in a position to host a World Expo and showcase the innovation, culture, and beauty of our great nation,” said McCollum. “Minnesota’s bid intends to focus on health innovation based on the theme Wellness and Well-Being for All. Minnesota’s health care industry is advanced, global, and innovative – and it deserves the spotlight. Hosting the World Expo in 2023 would be a remarkable event for the people of our state and today we are moving forward to that goal.”

“Innovation and creativity are at the heart of Minnesota. From our iconic infrastructure to cutting-edge advances in biomedical research, hosting the World’s Fair in 2023 will allow the world to experience all that our state has to offer,” said Klobuchar. “By enacting this bipartisan legislation, we are closer to hosting the World’s Fair, which can boost Minnesota’s economy, our tourism industry, and our country’s competitiveness around the globe.”

World’s Fairs or Expos are designed to highlight all that a country has to offer. Unfortunately, the United States has not hosted a World’s Fair since 1984. Even though the U.S. was a founding member of the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) - the intergovernmental organization charged with overseeing World Expos - the United States withdrew its membership in 2001 and has not been able to compete for the chance to host an expo since. The U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act (H.R. 534) fixes this problem by granting the Secretary of State the authority to rejoin the BIE. This will afford states like Minnesota the opportunity to compete on a global stage to host a World’s Fair.

Congressman Emmer and Congresswoman McCollum introduced H.R. 534 in the House, and Senator Klobuchar ensured its passage in the Senate.